fizvic's blog


[Submitted by fizvic on May 11, 2008, 10:38 pm]
 
 
Happy Mother's Day!!
[Submitted by fizvic on May 9, 2008, 12:45 am]

 

Dreadlocked Jason Castro Tossed Off Idol 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jason Castro, the mellow singer whose dreadlocked good looks earned the devotion of countless teenage girls, was voted off "American Idol" on Wednesday, leaving three finalists to compete for the show's top prize.

he departure of Castro, 20, whittled the competition on the top-rated TV talent show down to scruffy alternative rocker David Cook, baby-faced crooner David Archuleta and last-girl-standing Syesha Mercado.

Castro had been advised to pack his suitcase by no-nonsense "Idol" judge Simon Cowell on Tuesday after bungling the lyrics to Bob Dylan's 1965 classic "Mr Tambourine Man" and showed little surprise as he was given the hook.

He smiled broadly and clapped as host Ryan Seacrest broke the news and laughed during his final performance, a version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff."

The Texas-born Castro, who collected the fewest votes from viewers, was booted in the final minutes of the show after performances by pop rockers Maroon 5 and season four finalist Bo Bice.

He attributed his downfall to his inexperience, telling Seacrest that he had tried to pick songs he was familiar with but "even then I screwed it up."

[Submitted by fizvic on May 2, 2008, 6:13 pm]
 
Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey are married, family member Linda Cannon confirms exclusively to E! News. "He called us and told us all about it. We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him," she said.
Check out E! Online for the details!
[Submitted by fizvic on May 1, 2008, 11:35 pm]
 
 
MADONNA 
 
Madonna, a multi-Grammy-award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, cultural icon, world renowned stage performer, video visionary, children's book author, director and documentary film maker has sold 200 million albums in the course of her unprecedented two decade plus career and has just been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She's turning the big 5-0 this August 16, but this legendary pop superstar seems to be completely unfazed. Of course when you're dancing like the rebirth of your twenty-year-old self and raking in US$240 million a year, age remains nothing but just a menial number.

Hard Candy, Madonna's delicious new album, is set to take the world by storm, all over again. It has been described as a brilliant up-tempo collection of 12 songs in which Madonna remains ensconced in club mode but this time adds an urban hip hop beat in collaboration with musical partners Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes and Nate "Danja" Hills.

"The title is a juxtaposition of tough and sweetness kind of like I'm gonna kick your ass but it's going to make you feel good. And of course, I love candy" laughed the material girl.

When asked about the "4 Minute Fever Phenomenon," Madonna commented in a press release, "Goody goody gum drops."

It is known that Madonna was one of the first female pop stars to have complete control of her music and image. She has evolved over time, soaring to greater heights and dare I say, becoming less controversial. But will we ever say goodbye to one of the greatest gifts of the music world?
[Submitted by fizvic on May 1, 2008, 11:33 pm]
 

MARIAH CAREY 
Even back in the early '90s, when she was just a curly-haired Long Island girl in cut-offs and a hoodie, Mariah Carey was that lass, destined for a luxe life of Louis Vuitton luggage and Louboutin heels. That larger-than-life voice soared out of our Walkman (remember the big bulky ones?) like a supernatural force, and nearly two decades, five Grammys, 11 studio albums, and 18 #1 singles later, that diva's still rocking iPods and MTV.

Even Elvis Presley bites the dust beside this glamorous goddess as she surpassed him for selling the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard chart with her first single "Touch My Body" from her latest album E=MC2. "I really can never put myself in the category of people who have not only revolutionized music but also changed the world," Carey told The Associated Press from London. "That's a completely different era and time. I'm just feeling really happy and grateful."

If you're still pondering over why she chose to title her new album E=MC2, Mariah spelled it out for us, quite literally. "This album E=MC2 is kind of like The Emancipation of Mimi part two. Basically that's like the title. Emancipation equals Mariah Carey to the second power, if you will."

The high-pitched angelic voice that we hear booming through our speakers is not just left to a matter of chance. Carey has gone to great lengths to ensure that all we hear are her flawless vocals. "Literally, I'll have 20 humidifiers around the bed. Basically, it's like sleeping in a steam room. The bed is all terry-cloth, the ceiling is pitched so the water can't fall on my head, and it drips down to my side, and the TV is behind glass", revealed Carey in an interview with V Magazine.
[Submitted by fizvic on May 1, 2008, 11:26 pm]

 

'American Idol' boots another finalist 

NEW YORK - Diamond wasn't Brooke White's best friend on "American Idol" Wednesday night. The tearful 24-year-old folkster from Mesa, Ariz., was eliminated as the Fox show trimmed the competition to the top four finalists.

On Tuesday's show, aka Neil Diamond Night, White sang two songs by Diamond: "I'm a Believer" and "I Am ... I Said."

Simon Cowell called White's first performance "a nightmare," then heaped praise on her after her second act.

"This is the Brooke we like. Sitting behind the piano, singing a very good song," the snarky judge said. "It wasn't incredible, but it was a million times better than the first song. Well done."

White, who claimed never to have seen an R-rated movie, wiped away tears before her final performance. The former nanny told fans: "I just wanna say `thank you.'"

The remaining "Idol" candidates — David Archuleta, David Cook, Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado (Wednesday night's other low vote-getter) — surrounded White on stage.

Cook, offering moral support, patted her on the back.

Earlier in the live telecast, Ryan Seacrest defended Paula Abdul against Internet chatter about her flub the night before: "Just for the record: The rumors — they're not true. She's part of our family, and we love her."

[Submitted by fizvic on April 30, 2008, 10:55 pm]

Paula Abdul left 'empty' by song that wasn't

LOS ANGELES - Paula Abdul must be hearing double.

On a night when "American Idol" switched up the judges' format by making them hold their appraisals until every contestant had a turn, Abdul offered feedback Tuesday for two songs by Jason Castro — except that he'd only sung one.

Unlike the usual format, in which each "Idol" performance is judged immediately, Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell were made to take notes, then offer individual critiques in rapid succession at the end of each round. The reason, Seacrest explained, was because "this show is so tight."

So after each of the final five contestants sang one Neil Diamond song, Jackson zipped through his appraisals, offering a few terse words for each before kicking it to a visibly flustered Abdul.

"Oh gosh, we've never had to write these things down ... fast enough," she began, shuffling through her notecards. "Jason, first song, I loved hearing your lower register, which we never really hear, um ... ."

And that's where it started going off the rails.

"The second song, I felt like your usual charm wasn't — it was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty."

Indeed.

All six people on stage, including Seacrest, stared blankly (except Syesha Mercado, who wore the furrowed brow of mystification).

[Submitted by fizvic on April 25, 2008, 11:26 pm]
 
Los Angeles (E! Online) - Carly Smithson is not upset about her American Idol ouster. Nor is she without theories as to why it happened.
 
"Maybe it was too late I realized not to take everything so seriously," Smithson told reporters this morning. The judges "were a lot harder on me than the other contestants, so I think maybe it got to me for a few weeks."
 
Smithson, 24, didn't sound at all bitter, not even when discussing her harshest taskmaster: judge Simon Cowell, who actually praised her Tuesday performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar."
 
"It's like he set this high bar for me straight away," Smithson said. "It was like I was trying to beat myself week after week."
 
Smithson's Idol run ended Wednesday, the latest in this season's patented shockingly early exits, after Michael Johns and Amanda Overmyer—Smithson's personal favorite.
 
Pegged by pundits to make it to the top three, at least, Smithson finished sixth. Which Smithson insisted was fine by her.
 
"It definitely feels a lot greater going out sixth this year than it would have any other year," she said. "I'm cool. I'm so happy. I feel like I've just been given the greatest gift ever."
 
Last night, judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul reacted to Smithson's elimination by saying that popularity had trumped pipes.
[Submitted by fizvic on April 21, 2008, 12:42 pm]
[Submitted by fizvic on April 17, 2008, 6:36 pm]

'American Idol' cuts another finalist 

NEW YORK (AP) — The praise of Mariah Carey couldn't rescue Kristy Lee Cook from elimination on "American Idol." The 24-year-old resident country singer from Selma, Ore., was the latest casualty as the Fox sing-off narrowed the competition to six finalists.

Though guest mentor Carey said Cook's rendition of "Forever" gave her chills, Simon Cowell was not so impressed.

Brooke White and Syesha Mercado joined Cook with the lowest number of votes on Wednesday's results show. When asked to predict the loser, Cowell said: "Maybe Kristy — you know, your time's up this time, sweetheart."

Cook cried but took the eviction in stride. She directed her reprisal of "Forever" to Cowell, who grinned awkwardly.

The telecast also featured performances by "Idol" also-ran Elliott Yamin and Carey, who sang "Bye Bye" from her new album "EMC2."